Floating structure system for dock installation and method

ABSTRACT

A dock installation system to facilitate installation of dock platforms comprises one or more inflatable supports configured to be positioning under a dock platform. The inflatable support is sized and shaped to floatingly support the dock platform when suitable inflated. An attachment device for the inflatable support, the attachment device is configured to releasably secure the inflatable support to the dock platform when positioned under same. A method for installing a dock system comprises positioning the inflatable support(s) under a dock platform. The inflatable support is inflated to support the dock platform. The inflated support with the dock platform thereon is displaced to a desired position onto a body of water onto which the dock platform is to be installed, the inflated support floatingly supporting the dock platform. The dock platform is fixed at the desired position. The inflated support is removed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority on U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/404,965 filed on Oct. 6, 2016, incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present application generally relates to the installation of docks.

BACKGROUND

Different types of docks are used. One particular type of dock includes posts or pilings that project from a platform and extend underwater, to support the dock from the lake bed. In order for the platforms to be level and at a suitable height from the water level, the posts may be adjustable vertically and independently from one another so as to adjust to the uneven underwater soil. Once an appropriate vertical height is reached, the posts are locked in position.

The installation of such docks typically requires that installers go underwater. Moreover, it may take more than one person to facilitate the installation, and ensure that the platforms are level and at an appropriate height. In some instances, the depth of the lake bed adds to the complexity of the installation.

SUMMARY

It is therefore an aim of the present disclosure to provide a method and device for the installation of a dock.

Therefore, in accordance with the present disclosure, there is provided a method for installing a dock system comprising: positioning at least one inflatable support under a dock platform; inflating the at least one inflatable support for same to support the dock platform; displacing the inflated support with the dock platform thereon to a desired position onto a body of water onto which the dock platform is to be installed, the inflated support floatingly supporting the dock platform; fixing the dock platform at the desired position; and removing the inflated support.

In accordance with a further embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a dock installation system comprising: at least one inflatable support configured to be positioning under a dock platform, the at least one inflatable support sized and shaped to floatingly support the dock platform when suitable inflated, and an attachment device for each of the at least one inflatable support, the attachment device being configured to releasably secure the at least one inflatable support to the dock platform when positioned under same.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dock platform being installed with a dock installation system of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the dock platform being installed with the dock installation system;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the dock platform being installed with the dock installation system;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the dock platform being installed with the dock installation system; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a corner of the dock platform.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, a dock system is generally illustrated at 10. The dock system 10 has one platform 11, but may have more than one of the platform 11. For example, the platforms 11 may be connected end to end, and/or side by side, with hinges, or other types of rigid or solid joints, such that the dock system 10 may be constituted of a sequence of the platforms 11. Moreover, one or more of the platforms 11 may be connected to the shore.

Posts 12 are located at corners of the platform 11. The posts 12 may be known as pilings, and support the platform 11 from the underwater ground. According to an embodiment, the posts 12 may be tubes of a structural material, such as round-section or square-section tubes of aluminum. Footings 13, for example in the form of a plate, are located at the bottom end of the posts 12, and will interface the posts 12 to the lake bed (a.k.a, sea bed, river bed, etc, namely the underwater ground). The shape and configuration of the footings 13 may vary as a function of the type of soil of the underwater ground.

The posts 12 are operatively connected to the platform 11 so as to be movable along a vertical direction, as shown by Y. In an embodiment, the posts 12 are received in a housing 14 to form a translational joint. When a desired vertical position is reached, a locking mechanism, such as set screws 15, may lock the post 12 in the housing 14, to block the translational movement and hence set a vertical position of the post 12. Other mechanisms are considered as well to set the vertical position of the posts 12 relative to the platform 11. The arrangement described above allows individual adjustment of the height of each of the posts 12, which is practical considering that the underwater ground may be uneven. Stated differently, according to an embodiment, each of the posts 12 may move independently from the others.

A dock installation system in accordance with the present disclosure is generally shown at 20, and is of the type used to install the dock system 10 described above. The dock installation system 20 is designed to limit the interventions of the installer immersed in the water. According to an embodiment, the dock installation system 20 may enable the installation of the dock system 10 with minimal human presence from a standing position in the water. The dock installation system 20 has one or more inflatable supports 21. The inflatable supports 21 are vessels made of a non-rigid flexible material. For example, polymers may be used as sheet material for the inflatable supports 21. The shape of the supports 21 is based on the dimensions of the platforms 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the supports 21 are elongated cylinders, to be used horizontally, as a buoy to floatingly support the platforms 11. A pair of the supports 21 is used under the platform 11 to support same, the supports 21 being positioned generally parallel to one another. The length of the supports 21 may be such that they extend most if not the full width of the platform 11. The supports 21 may also exceed the platform 11 in length. In the illustrated embodiment, the supports 21 are positioned transversely relative to a longitudinal dimension (along X) of the platform 11. It may be desired for the stability of the installation that the supports 21 remain spread apart and adjacent to opposite edges of the platform 11. For instance, the supports 21 may be positioned at opposed ends of the platform 11, or at least closer to the ends of the platform 11 than closer to a center. By positioning the supports 21 at the ends of the platform 11, the assembly may be more stable especially when an installer is on the platform 11 while the assembly floats, for example during installation.

Attachment devices 22 may be provided to ensure that the supports 21 remain in position under the platform 11, and thus to reduce play or relative movement between the platform 11 and the supports 21. The attachment devices 22 may be straps. Velcro™ may be one of the options considered to assist in attaching the straps 22 to the platform 11. Other options may include elastics (e.g., bungee style) with hooks, belts, etc.

The supports 21 may be inflatable, and hence have a closeable port 23 through which they may be inflated or deflated. According to an embodiment, the system 20 also includes a pump 24 that may be releasably connected to the port 23. The port 23 and pump 24 may be sized to have the capacity of pumping liters of air in each pump stroke to accelerate the inflating of the supports 21. The pump 24 may be manually or electrically actuated. The pump 24 may be a floor pump, a foot pump, etc.

Although a pair of elongated supports 21 is shown, it is contemplated to provide a single support 21 providing sufficient buoyancy to support the platform 11. For example, the supports 21 may be mattress shaped, among other possibilities. The supports 21 may each be a rectangular prism. In an embodiment, a single rectangular prism may be used, with length and width approximately matching that of the platform 11. The support(s) 21 may be made of a single body of inflatable material, the material having the capacity to sustain friction as the support(s) 21 may be dragged on the ground or shallow water while supporting the weight of a platform 11.

Now that the dock system 10 and the dock installation system 20 have been described, a method of installation is set forth. Firstly, the installer must determine a desired height of the platform 11 relative to the instant water level. The platform 11 is installed on the deflated support(s) 21, with the posts 12 locked at or near their lowest position, i.e., with the footings 14 near the platform 11. If an attachment device 22 is present, it may be used to secure the support(s) 21 to the platform 11, before or after the inflating.

The support(s) 21 is then inflated to lift the platform 11 from the ground. Accordingly, the installer may match the desired height by pumping the support(s) 21 until a suitable height is reached, and considering that part of the support 21 will be underwater during installation. This step may entail stopping when the inflatable support 21 has reached an inflation height less than a maximum inflation height. Once the support(s) 21 is suitably pumped, the assembly of platform 11 and inflated support(s) 21 may be slid onto the water, at which point the support(s) 21 will produce sufficient buoyancy forces for the assembly to float, and hence be manually maneuverable, for example from the shore or with the installer standing in substantially shallow water, near the shore. Alternatively, the assembly of platform 11 and inflated support(s) 21 may be carried onto the water, in which case the attachment devices 22 may be practical. Moreover, the installer may even step onto the platform 11 to attend to the posts 12. According to an embodiment, the first of the platforms 11 to be installed is the one nearest the shore, such that this first installed platform 11 may serve to install the other platforms.

Once the platform 11 on the support(s) 21 is positioned to the installer's desired position, the platform 11 is fixed at that desired position. In an embodiment, fixing the platform 11 may include attaching it to a structure on the shore or in the water, attaching the platform 11 to another adjacent platform, etc. In an embodiment, to fix the platform 11, the posts 12 may be released from their lowest position to come into contact with the underwater ground. The posts 12 may move without assistance by the effect of gravity, or with assistance from the installer. When the footing 13 is secure against the underwater ground, the locking mechanism 15 may lock the posts 12 in the housings 14, at all corners of the platform 11, unless some corners do not have posts 12, such as ones connected to a structure on the shore. In such a case, the platform 11 may instead be secured to the structure on the short while supported by the support(s) 21. Hence, the dock installation system 20 ensures that the platform 11 is relatively level, and at a desired height from water level. The supports 21 may then be deflated and removed. This may require that the attachment devices 22 be detached, before, during or after the deflating. These steps are repeated with the other platforms 11. Accordingly, it may not be necessary to fully deflate the supports 21 if they are to be reused. Indeed, the supports 21 may be sufficiently deflated to be removed, while preserving some air pressure such that the supports don't have to be reinflated from empty.

The method for installing a dock system therefore comprises positioning one or more of the inflatable support 21 under the dock platform 11. The inflatable support(s) 21 is inflated for same to support the dock platform 11. The inflated support(s) 21 with the dock platform 11 thereon is displaced to a desired position onto a body of water onto which the dock platform 11 is to be installed, the inflated support 22 floatingly supporting the dock platform 11. The posts 12 are installed against underwater ground at the desired position of the dock platform 11 such that the dock platform 11 is supported by the posts 12. The inflated support(s) 21 may be removed.

As the supports 21 will slide on the ground to drag the platform 11 onto the water, the material selected for the supports 21 may be wear resistant. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, wear pads 25 or a hard shell may be provided on the undersurface of the supports 21, or additional layers of the material of the support(s) 21. It is considered to provide structural rigid material, such as metallic or polymer wear plates, as integral parts of the supports 21.

The volume and size of the supports 21 must take into consideration Archimedes' principle for the assembly of platform 11 and supports 21 to float and be stable during assembly. The volume and size may also take into account the presence of installer(s) standing on the platform 11 when supported by the supports 21. In any event, the installation manual should indicate the capacity of the platform 11 when supported by the supports 21 to prevent incidents. 

1. A method for installing a dock system comprising: positioning at least one inflatable support under a dock platform; inflating the at least one inflatable support for same to support the dock platform such that the dock platform is entirely floatingly supported from end to end by the at least one inflatable support; displacing the inflated support with the dock platform thereon to a desired position onto a body of water onto which the dock platform is to be installed, the inflated support floatingly supporting the dock platform from end to end; fixing the dock platform at the desired position; and removing the inflated support.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein fixing the dock platform at the desired position comprises installing posts against underwater ground at the desired position of the dock platform such that the dock platform is supported by the posts.
 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein installing posts on underwater ground comprises translating posts to contact with the underwater ground, and locking the posts at a set vertical position.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein positioning at least one inflatable support under a dock platform comprises positioning one said inflatable support at each end of the dock platform.
 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein positioning one said inflatable support at each end of the dock platform comprises positioning the inflatable supports transversely to a longitudinal dimension of the dock platform.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein displacing the inflated support with the dock platform thereon to a desired position comprises displacing the at least one inflatable support from a position on a shore.
 7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising attaching the at least one inflatable support to the dock platform before displacing same with the dock platform thereon.
 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein removing the inflated support includes deflating at least partially the inflated support.
 9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising repeating the positioning, inflating, displacing, fixing and removing with another of the dock platform, and wherein fixing includes attaching the dock platforms to one another.
 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein inflating the at least one inflatable support for same to support the dock platform comprises inflating the at least one inflatable support and stopping when the at least one inflatable support has reached an inflation height less than a maximum inflation height.
 11. A dock installation system comprising: at least one inflatable support configured to be positioning under a dock platform, the at least one inflatable support sized and shaped to floatingly support the dock platform from end to end when suitably inflated, and an attachment device for each of the at least one inflatable support, the attachment device being configured to releasably secure the at least one inflatable support to the dock platform when positioned under same.
 12. The dock installation system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one inflatable support has a length greater than a width of the dock platform and a lesser than a length of the dock platform.
 13. The dock installation system according to claim 11, further comprising an attachment strap fixed to the at least one inflatable support and configured for releasably attaching the at least one inflatable support to the dock platform.
 14. The dock installation system according to claim 13, wherein the attachment strap has complementary Velcro™ strips thereon.
 15. The dock installation system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one inflatable support has an elongated inflatable body, and wherein a closeable port of the at least inflatable support is at a longitudinal end of the elongated inflatable body.
 16. The dock installation system according to claim 15, wherein the elongated inflatable body has a cylindrical shape when fully inflated.
 17. The dock installation system according to claim 11, comprising two of the at least one inflatable support, and a pump for inflating the at least one inflatable support.
 18. The dock installation system according to claim 11, further comprising at least one wear pad on an underside of the at least one inflatable support.
 19. The dock installation system according to claim 18, wherein the at least one wear pad is made of a material different than a material of the at least one inflatable support. 